Lacking One Thing

Harvest Pointe Methodist Church

Gospel according to Mark, chapter ten. The Gospel according to Mark, chapter ten.

00:00:10

We've been in this chapter, and here we find ourselves again with a very powerful story this morning. Notice these words found in Mark, chapter ten. And if you would stand with me once you've found that for the gospel reading this morning. Mark, chapter ten. And we're going to start reading with verse 17.

00:00:31

Notice these words. This is the word of God. As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to him, why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.

00:00:57

You know the commandments. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness.

00:01:06

You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother. And he said to him, teacher, I have kept all these since my youth. Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, you lack one thing. Go sell what you own and give the money to the poor.

00:01:30

And you will have treasure in heaven. Then come. Follow me. When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, how hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.

00:01:55

The disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. They were greatly astounded and said to one another, then who can be saved?

00:02:18

Jesus looked at them and said, for mortals it is impossible, but not for God. For God, all things are possible. Peter began to say to him, look, we have left everything and followed you. Jesus said, truly, I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news. Who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age, houses brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions and in the age to come, eternal life.

00:03:10

But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first. Jesus, we thank you for your holy word to us. And we pray that you would send your spirit this morning to us in this room, in this place of worship, as your people, as your children, to teach us, to call us, to make us born again, to fill us with your spirit. We pray in your most holy name. Amen.

00:03:40

And you can be seated.

00:03:47

What do you want. This was asked of Solomon, wasn't it? Do you remember? God comes to Solomon and says to him, what do you want? Name it and I'll give it to you.

00:04:03

And of course, you remember what Solomon asked for. It was wisdom, wasn't it? It was wisdom. And wisdom's a little different than just knowledge. You know, knowledge would tell us that a tomato is a fruit, but wisdom tells us that a tomato doesn't go in fruit salad, right?

00:04:26

That's how this works. You know, wisdom is doing something with the knowledge that we have. And this is why we sometimes will even joke around that the person may be really smart as far as knowledge goes, but kind of dumb as far as wisdom goes. They have no common sense. We might say, well, what do you want?

00:04:49

What if God, literally, I mean, really, just think about it for just a second. I know we probably have done this before, but just stop and think. Like, if Jesus were here, just as I am before you now, and he were to ask you, like, what do you want? What would it be? World peace, perhaps bigger bank account?

00:05:13

All the money in the world, all the pleasure in the world. What might that even look like? What do you want?